Disaster ResponseJill Spitzer, ACSW, LCSWChief Executive OfficerJewish Family Service of San Diego
•Macro •Micro
Many similaritiesMany differences
Multiple considerations
Can’t anticipate every situation butMust prepare for every contingency
DISASTER RESPONSE
MACROCommunity based response
• Natural disaster (Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Landslide, etc.)
• Man-made disaster (Terrorist attack)
• Local Crisis (School shooting, isolated fire)
• Crisis counseling (Local community tragedy)
MICROAgency Specific• Physical or psychological injury to
people; • Agency operations impacted; • Damage or destruction of facilities; • Financial loss; and • Spillover effects from something
that has affected some other person or agency.
STAGES OF DISASTER RELIEF
• Immediate Response
• Initial Response (Month 1)
•Recovery (Months 2-3)
•Re-Building (Ongoing)
INITIAL RESPONSE
• Reallocation of staff resources• Case management & crisis
intervention• Address immediate needs of survivors
– Food, clothing, gas, rent provisions, assistance with bills
– Unexpected disaster-related expenses
• Outreach and information regarding – Disaster related benefits and services– How to talk to kids about trauma
• Limited financial assistance• Housing assistance
INITIAL RESPONSE ISSUES
• Staff to cover phones, assistance centers, agency services
• Survivor needs – including JFS staff• Management of volunteers – what
to do with them, vetting, etc. and recruitment of mentors
• Donation Management – both taking in and giving out, includes tracking cash, gift cards, in-kind
NEEDS & CONSIDERATIONS• Information management – internal
and external• Information updates – web, e-mail,
800 number• Huge volume of telephone calls –
asking for help and offering help• Things for people to do!
RECOVERY
• Ongoing case management, counseling, crisis intervention, telephone contact, and resources and information
• Advocacy and resource management– Insurance, rebuild and county upgrades
• Financial Assistance• Grants/Participation at Unmet
Needs Table • Housing, furniture, I&R for
replacements
RE-BUILDING
• Counseling and Case Management
• Insurance related advocacy
• Limited Financial Assistance
• Grants– Replacement of uninsured personal and
professional property/tools of livelihood– Specific needs like rental subsidies,
furniture and household item replacement
COMMUNITY DISASTER RESPONSE
• Disaster Determination– Work hours, after hours or weekend
• Notification of key staff• Communication to all staff re:
agency expectations• Welfare check - staff, clients, board
members, volunteers and others (includes sister agencies)
• Prep disaster supplies (food and hygiene bags)
• Prepare for Disaster Response
ROLESWITHIN THE AGENCY:• Overall Coordination• Team Leaders• Response Staffing – existing staff,
new staff, redeployment of staff
EXTERNALLY IN THE COMMUNITY:• Jewish Community• Community-at-large
Disaster Response Teams
• Client ServicesAll case management and mental health responses
• Volunteer ServicesEmbrace-a-Family, Thanksgiving Baskets, donation collections, etc.
• Staff and BoardBoard volunteers and Staff impacted by program closures working on disaster related efforts
• Communications and DonationsWebsite updates, media requests, donations management, dedicated 800 number, advertisements
Services
• Crisis Intervention
• Assessment
• Case management
• Counseling to help those devastated by the trauma and loss – individual, couples, group and play therapy
Services...
• Financial Assistance:
Gift cards (Target, Gas, Grocery, Home Depot, other department stores) to help with short-term needs such as food, personal hygiene items, home furnishings, and gas;
Emergency checks to third party
vendors, for rent, mortgage payments, funeral expenses, utility bills, deep cleaning, and other various bills.
Groceries and personal hygiene products
Services...• Telephone contact, and information and referral
• Outreach and information to schools regarding how parents and teachers can talk to youth about trauma
• Housing Assistance
• Acquisition of material goods (clothing, food, furnishings, and other home goods)
• Accessing benefits (disaster-related, as well as SSI, Medi-Cal, Food Stamps, Section 8)
• Assistance with medical care and legal services
Services...
• Coordination of volunteer efforts, including donations of housing, food, and other goods, mentoring, advocacy, Thanksgiving baskets, Holiday Embrace-a-Family, etc.
• Monthly forums that include topics such as negotiating with insurance companies, legal matters, tax matters, as well as providing “how to” information such as dealing with FEMA, avoiding unscrupulous contractors, removing debris, etc. These forums serve as a mechanism for clients to receive information, share experiences and support one another.
Services...
• Grants to survivors to help with specific needs in order to improve the quality of life for the applicant -equipment to help people return to work, rental subsidies, purchase of furniture or other household goods, etc.
SPECIALTY FOCUS
• Special Needs/Older Adult Case Manager
• Communications/Volunteer Coordinator
• Jewish Specific Programming
Services Targeted to Jewish Community• Hanukkah in a Box• Passover Packages• Summer BBQ• Dinner in the Sukkah• Community Forums• Support Groups• Weekly E-Mail• A Night of Light and Reflection• $1,800 gift• Development of interest free loan
program• Recruitment of Professionals with
disaster experience - lawyers, insurance specialists and adjusters, accountants and tax planners, financial advisors, contractors and architects, etc.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
• Easily adaptable to other issues or crises
• Scalable– One time only response– School shooting, 9/11, 2003 Fire,
Katrina Response, 2007 Wildfires– Economic Crisis Response
• Long-Term Disaster Preparedness– Disaster kit to take to Recovery Centers– Give away items: notepads, pens, tote
bags
• Jewish Community Partners